KooKoo Kouvola bounced back with a 5-3 win over KAC Klagenfurt on Game Day 5 of the 2026/27 Champions Hockey League season. Meanwhile, Adler Mannheim came away with their fourth victory of the season with a 5-4 SO win over GKS Tychy. Heading into the final round of the Regular Season, the Germans are already qualified for the Playoffs, while KooKoo need valuable points to move up the standings!

The Germans got their game against the Polish side off to a strong start, netting two in the span of a minute and a half in the first period. In the end, Nicolas Mattinen's SO winner would go on to cap off a night that saw Mannheim exhibit stretches of dominance mixed with a defensive effort that was suspect. Their lapse in defence was not uncharacterstic, though, as the club has struggled to keep pucks out of their net, allowing an average of 3.00 GAG. In their last four games alone, Mannheim have allowed three or more goals. Getting straight on what's lacking on the blueline is their top priority as they take on a Kouvola club that's averaging 3.00 GG.

The Finns' most recent win was a nice change of pace from their regular results, and this win could very well give the momentum they've been struggling to find all season. Ville Meskanen was lights out for Kouvola who suited up for just his second game this season. Repeating this performance with the help of other leading scorer Samuel Valkeejärvi can definitely turn the tides in their favour. But one big blotch that still needs addressing is a defence that's ranked eighth-worse in the league, giving up an average of 3.40 GAG. Mannheim, to their credit, have been scoring at a pace of 3.60 GG. So if the Finns have any chance of notching back-to-back victories, they'll also need to make sure their D-core are on point.